Advice from Studio H Design Group: Go for It!

Kelly Hinchman, of Studio H Design Group, is one of the fortunate who always knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. "I've always wanted to be an interior designer," she explains. "It's the only thing I would ever want to do in life." For Kelly, having a directed passion has really paid off.

Growing up in San Diego, Kelly decided to leave town to study at California State University, Chico. She was on track for a degree in interior design when Chico cut the program. While researching alternatives, Kelly found Design Institute of San Diego; she could not be more pleased with how it all turned out. "It really is the best. DISD prepares you to be an interior designer, with plenty of exposure to the technical background, and not just the fun part. The classes are structured according to a typical job." Kelly enjoyed the studio classes but always looks back to Environmental Psychology as her favorite. "The way I look at spaces is psychological. You want someone to come into a space and feel different. You can really engineer a space and I find that fascinating. When it's a commercial environment you want to ask 'how do you want your patients, clients or customers to feel when they walk in: spa Zen-like, energized, creative? Do you want them to think you're free thinkers or more straight edge?' You can influence that with spaces. The whole social engineering part of that environmental psychology class and the psychology of the way-finding, using signage, color, and lighting...I just think it's really inspiring."

Kelly's first job was with Robin Wilson Interior Design, run by another DISD graduate, Robin Wilson. Kelly started as an intern working on multi-family housing and that experience led to a job. Her San Diego connections came in handy as friends and family started to ask for design help. Kelly did side consulting, and after a few years decided it was time to move on. Armed with the experience she had gained, Kelly worked on her own projects while helping Linda Johnson of Casa Bella Interiors. This is where she gained a lot of knowledge about remodeling. "Remodeling is a whole other beast, being on-site with contractors, getting dirty working on framing issues and all the other things that arise. So that was an amazing experience." Linda and Kelly became business partners and collaborated until 2012 when Linda decided to retire and Kelly took over on her own.

Looking back at the different business structures in her previous jobs, Kelly knew what changes she wanted to make and what things she wanted to keep the same. She moved her office downtown, rebranded and started from there. Kelly's staff now consists of a full-time studio director, full-time interior designer, fellow DISD grad Hope Pinc, an administrative assistant and a rotating intern. The projects Kelly takes on could not be more wide ranging. The most recently completed project was a plastic surgery center. "It was a really fun project because it was an empty shell, so I got to do everything from the architectural plans to the custom-designed furniture, custom lighting, and commissioned art." Kelly's group has many unique residential projects in the works, including one coined "Project Tree House." They are also the designers for the Yoga Six — a new national yoga studio which started in San Diego and is quickly popping up around the country, with the next studios opening in Chicago.

Rather than feeling spread thin, the variety of projects energizes Kelly. "I don't think there's anything I would take out right now. I never did healthcare before, but now that I have done it, I love every part of it. I have also done three restaurants and I think it would be fun to do more of that. There are some days that I'm going over MEP [mechanical, electrical and plumbing] plans and figuring out if I have enough light distribution in the space, working on elevations and reviewing all the technicalities. Then I say 'Okay, I need to select some window treatment fabrics. I need to pull this color pallet together.' The process results in a nice mix of tasks."

Every designer has a unique set of skills and Kelly knows exactly what she has to offer her clients. "I always tell my clients that I'm their advocate. It's something personal when you get into someone's home or business because you are in their most personal spaces. You know your client's finances, you know what their relationships are like, and so it's a sensitive state. I coach my clients on the process and I review everything with them. I want them to be passionate about their space and love everything that's going on." Kelly works with a client's desires for their space, using them as a muse and creating something even better than they envisioned.

When asked about the future Kelly responded, "We try not to look too far ahead. We look at what is right in front of our face and jump those hurdles first." And her advice for future or current designers? "Take risks. I do not think you can grow unless you do. If you feel it in your gut, just do it. If you want to have your own business, and you're not sure if you're ready, take one little step at a time. Before you know it, you will have a going business. When we celebrated our one-year anniversary we looked back at the photographs of the work we had done. I thought 'Oh my gosh. We did all this!'"